What is COIN, N?

Pieces of gold, silver, or other metal, fashioned into a prescribed shape, weight, and degree of fineness, and stamped, by authority of government, with certain marks and devices, and put into circulation as money at a fixed value. Com. v. Gallagher, 10 Gray (Mass.) 240; Latham v. U. S., 1 Ct. a. 150; Borie v. Trott, 5 Phila. (Pa.) 403. Strictly speaking, coin differs from money, as the species differs from the genus. Money is any matter, whether metal, paper, beads, shells, etc., which has currency as a medium in commerce. Coin is a particular species, always made of metal, and struck according to a certain process called “coinage.” Wharton.